DIVE DEEPER INTO 2023 TECHNOLOGIES

by MAL FLETCHER

Take a deep breath! 2023 is going to be a roller coaster ride when it comes to new technologies – a true blend of the exhilarating and the unsettling.

Technology should never define us. The future is not a product of the technologies we use but of how we, as moral agents decide to use them.

That said, technology is important. As the media education pioneer John Culkin famously observed, “We shape our tools and, thereafter, our tools shape us.”

So, let’s take a deep dive to explore some of the most consequential technologies we’ll see in 2023. Hold on tight.

• Brain Chip Implants: Age of the Cyborgs? Neural implants will be a hot news feature in 2023. Why bother with a wearable on your wrist when you can fit one into your brain?

Transhumanism is a school of philosophy which advocates that human beings will, through technology, evolve beyond their current physical and mental limitations. Some adherents believe that we will someday transcend death itself, using advanced prosthetics, implants and the like. Whether this is achievable - or even desirable - is open to debate. However, one thing is certain: we are getting closer to significantly improving human capabilities through technology.

• Metaverse and Immersive Education The term “metaverse” refers to a virtual world that exists beyond the physical world. It is a simulated environment that is accessible to users via virtual and/or augmented reality headsets or other devices.

Potentially, one of the most exciting applications of the metaverse is in the field of education. We will hear a lot more about this in 2023, especially as Meta and other groups seek to boost low levels of public interest in the technology.

• ‘Data Architect’ Apps to Protect Personal Data Data privacy and security will become more newsworthy this year, especially as nations legislate to hold big tech companies to account for their use of consumers’ data.

Our engagement with new digital platforms such as the metaverse, plus a growing use of cashless payments, will boost exponentially the amount of data we generate.

• Centrally Governed Digital Currencies The trend toward cashless payment systems is already well entrenched in the developed world - and increasingly in poorer regions. The convenience of cashlessness is clear, though this may also be its greatest weakness.

Cash is messy, but it has weight. You can feel it leaving your pocket as you spend. Digital payment systems including contactless cards and smartphone wallets divorce spending from forethought. Studies have shown that consumers are likely to spend up to thirty per cent more when using cashless as opposed to hard currencies.

• Breakthrough Medical Techs The next year or two will bring exciting developments on the medical technology front.

Among the most notable will be a move toward biological additive manufacturing - that is, 3D-printed human organs and body parts for transplant purposes. Research on this has continued for a decade or more, but we are moving closer to realisation.

When it comes to technology, the future has already arrived. Many of the tools that will most define our human experience in the coming years are already with us, albeit often in experimental form. Alongside the above, 2023 will bring news on new forms of social media - particularly those using virtual and augmented reality and those that offer experiences more tailored to individual users.

We’ll hear a lot more about fully automated weapons of war, especially as Russia's incursion in Ukraine reaches its climax and Western concerns grow about China’s ambitions. Experiments with fully automated killer drones and self-regulating clusters of killer bots will feature in the news.

So will exciting developments with space exploration and alternative fuels.

The year ahead will hold its share of surprises, but one thing is certain: 2023 will not be dull!

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MAL FLETCHER is the founder and chairman of 2030Plus who is based in London. www.2030plus.com